The philosophical garden in Antiquity

This conference will approach the concrete and symbolic role of gardens in Ancient Greek thought. For indeed, the earliest schools of philosophy were deployed in sites that included sacred woods and public parks: the Platonic Academy, Aristotle’s Lyceum and the famous Garden of Epicurus. We will also demonstrate how – during the same period – the garden became an object of philosophical reflection and a model for practising thought, the culture of the soul being closely associated with that of nature.

Agnès du Vachat is a garden historian and qualified professor in philosophy. She is also a researcher at the National Graduate Landscaping School (Versailles), where she obtained her PhD. She currently teaches philosophy and history of art.